Romelu Lukaku Linked With A Shock Move To Serie A Giants Juventus

Romelu Lukaku has been linked with a shock move to Italian giants Juventus as Inter Milan looked destined to land the striker on a permanent basis from Chelsea.

The Belgian’s potential move to the Old Lady comes as a shock to everyone as it had been highly anticipated that Chelsea and Inter Milan would be able to come to an agreement on a permanent transfer after the striker spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Inter.

Lukaku endured many ups and downs during his loan last year, struggling with injuries and game time throughout the year.

However, towards the end of the season, he was given more minutes and repaid manager Filippo Inzaghi with 10 goals in the final 14 matches of the campaign.

Add this to the memorable cameos throughout the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, it seemed like both he and the club were happy to continue.

Chelsea put a €40 million price tag on Lukaku, a far cry from the £97 million spent on him only two years ago.

However, Inter have been struggling to meet this price only offering a loan with an obligation to buy for a deal worth €30 million. In response to this, Lukaku and his agent have been holding talks with Juve and are close to brokering a deal with Chelsea over his sale.

Is This A Good Move For Juve?

For a cash-strapped team preparing for a season in the Europa League with charges from the Italian Football Federation looming over their heads, signing Lukaku on a cut-price deal from Chelsea is not an awful decision. In some ways, he is an upgrade on their current striking option; Dusan Vlahovic.

The Serbian, while a talented player, lacks the consistency in front of the goal to truly put up elite goal-scoring numbers, often being labelled a “purple patch player”.

Although older than Vlahovic, Lukaku has proven in the past he can produce elite goal-scoring numbers in Serie A with him scoring 20 in the 2020 season and 24 in the 2021 season.

How Will This Transfer Make The Inter Milan Fans Feel?

Many players in the past have moved between Inter, Juventus and AC Milan with examples being renowned players such as Andrea Pirlo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

This move has a slightly different feel to it as Lukaku previously stated in an interview in December 2021 that he would never play for another Italian club except for his beloved Inter Milan.

However, his actions in this summer window by leaving Inter for a second time in as many years and for a bitter rival no less, suggest that he does not love the club like he says he does.

As Lukaku’s future remains uncertain, the clock ticks on his prime years. At 30-years-old, the big Belgian must make a wise decision regarding his next move, one that will shape the latter part of his illustrious career.